Steel import bill tops P2.6bn

Speaking during a ground breaking ceremony of the Pula Steel manufacturing plant recently, Kedikilwe said 50 percent of the steel demand was imported from South Africa, followed by China who brought 40 percent to Botswana. He noted that the Southern African Development Community (SADC) imported US$5.3 billion of steel last year, which translated to P47.1 billion.

“This scenario has made us net importers of steel at a very high premium and as a result several projects including some national development projects have been delivered at exhorbitant costs.